Automatic train-pipe coupling.



A. L. MOLER, AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CQUPHNG.

APPLICATION man MAY 8. 1915.

Patenbe. liev. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

A. L. MOLER AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE QUPL|NG.

APPLlCATl ON .FlLED MAY 8. 1915.

Patented Nov. 23,

2 SHEETS-*SHEEX 2.

WITNESSES A till TD l r ABRAHAM LINCOLN MOLER, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- FIFTHS TO IRVIN GRIFFITH CLAYTON AND TWO-FIFTHS TO MARTIN ALLEN BARBER, BOTH OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov, 23, rats.

Application filed May 8, 1915. Serial No. 26,893.

I automatic coupling of the signal, brake and steam pipes-of railway cars and has for an object to-provide a new and improved connection. between the shank of the coupler head and the supporting bracket.

The above with further objects and advantages will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

For full comprehension, however of my invention reference should be had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar reference characters indicate the same parts =and wherein Figure 1 is side elevation of my improved coupler; F 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectionillustrating a pair of couplers engaged, the section being indicated by line 3-3 Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail section on line 4El Fig, 1; and Fig. 5 isa detail section on line Fig, 2. Figs (3 and 7 are detail sections on line 6-6 and 'L Z, respectively, Fig. 2.

Referring now to these drawings, 2 indicates a portion of a car and 3 the draw-bar of a draft rigging to which T have illustrated and will now describe my improved train pipe coupler as being adjustably attached although same may be supported in any suitable manner from the draw-bar or the car.

A support member iis suspended from the draw-bar and is slotted at 5 in the 1011 gitudinal line of the car, the support-having at either side thereof the upwardly ex; tending arms 6 of a coupler supporting bracket 7. The bracket arms carry bolts 8" which pass through the slot 5 and uphold the bracket, being tightened by nuts 9 and when it is desired to adjust the position of the coupler longitudinally of the car the nuts are loosened and the bracket moved in the desired direction with the bolts moving in the slot. This adjustable connection, in itself does not form part of the present invention.

The bracket 7 extends rearwardly and downwardly and'has an opening 10therein at its lower end, forwardly from which, or outwardly with respect to the car, extend vertical side walls 11 connected at the top by the rearwardly extending portion 7 of the bracket, the inner surfaces of the walls being each inclined as at 12 from, front and rear ends inwardly in opposite directions longitudinally of the car to form a vertical ridge 13 for a purpose to be presently explained. Each of the walls 11 is provided with a horizontal slot 14; extending in,- wardly from the outer edge of the wall and in the same horizontal plane as the opening 10,. the longitudinal center line of the slots preferably being level with the horizontal center line of such opening and the inner end of the slots being rounded about a central point preferably in vertical line with the ridge 13 which latter is formed both above and below the slots.

The inner end of a shank 15 ofa coupler head is loosely passedinwardly through the opening 10 and is secured in position by a sleeve-nut 16 screwed upon such inner end and bearing against the rear face of the bracket, the shank 15 also passing through a spring seat 17 located in front of the bracket and having a centrally located, rear wardly extending hollow boss or sleeve 18 and rearwardly extending side arms 19 spaced outwardly from the boss, the latter surrounding the'shank being located between the side walls 11, adapted to bear against ridges 13 and the arms 19 being lo-' cated at opposite sides of the bracket? and outside the walls 11, the shank and the openings in the spring seat, sleeve and bracket being preferably of angular form and the opening 10 in the bracket flared rearwardly at 10. Transversely disposed pins 20 are carried between the outer ends of the arms 19 and the boss 18, such pins being located in and adapted to bear against the inner rounded ends of slots 14 and in this instance being in the form of circular and preferably hollow portions extending between the boss and arms.

The shank is preferably east in one with the head 22 of the coupler and the latter has an abutment face 23 surrounding the shank and between this abutment face and the spring seat a coiled spring encircling the shank bears, the abutment face being prosaid chain.

The coupler head is formed with train pipe apertures to which the train hose pipes are connected and as is well understood when the coupler heads of two cars are brought together the spring 24-. of each is compressed, the tendency of the springsto expand holding the coupler heads tightly together and maintaining the apertures in communication. In a coupling constructed according to the above description, the shank, under the rearward movement of the coupler bar, slides rearwardly through. the bracket and spring seat and as will be apparent from Fig. 3 such coupler is per mitted to move either sidewise or up and down. The vertical movement is permitted by the pins 20 which provide a horizontal pivotal connection between the coupler and its bracket while the sidewise movement is permitted by the loose connection between the spring seat and the bracket and the vertical pivotal connection provided between these parts by the engagement of the boss 18with the vertical ridges 13.

The rearwardly flared opening 10 in the bracket accommodates the swinging of the inner end of the shank during both movements while the slots 14 accommodate the necessary horizontal movement of the pins 20 during the sidewise movementand it will be seen that the spring seat, owing particularly to the long bearing provided by sleeve 18, will follow the shank in all swinging movements thereof and thus maintain a perpendicular bearing abutment for the spring and avoid exposure of the latter to tor- Sional strain.

The illustrated coupler head is of the type having a frame 31 provided with the train pipe apertures 32, 33 and 34 respectively communicating with the train pipes 35, 3t; and 37 the frame being formed at one side with an outwardly projecting inclined guide 38 and presenting an opening 39 at the other side adapted to receive the inclined guide of an engaging coupler head. The

inner suit/face of the guide or that surface adJacenl/ the, opening is recessed at 40 to enable the train pipe aperture 34 to. be posi tioncd substantially in the center of the frame between the opening and guide and in axial alinement with shank lo, the latter being axially hollowed out at il adjacent the frame and formed with a side opening 42 the side opening and central aperture communicating with each other through said shank. A laterally extending nipple l3 surrounds opening a2 for the attachment of one of the train hose pipes and while a coupler head as described generally abovedoes not form part of this invention the disposi tion of the side opening 1-2 and nipple 4.3 does form part of my invention.

The side opening 42 is disposed at the same side of the shank as is the inclined guide 38 and is also disposed at the same side of the vertical center line of the central opening 34 as is such guide and it will therefore be seen that the nipple surrounding such opening and providing the rear opening of the conduit leading from its front opening, the central aperture, does not project into the line of the opening 39 not into the line of travel or the inclined projection entering such opening. In this way damage by said entering projection to the nipple or the pipe connected thereto avoided without the necessity of setting the rear opening of the conduit or the nipple so far back from the coupler head to avoid contact with the entering projection as to ncccssitate extreme bending of the train pipe to connect it to the nipple and the disadvantages resulting from such bending.

What I claim is as follows:

1. In an automatic train pipe coupler, a. coupler head, a bracket for supporting the coupler head and having a slot therein, a spring seat, a spring bearing between the seat and head and a projection extending vfrom said spring seat into the slot.

2. In an automatic train pipdtcoupler, a coupler head, a bracket for supporting the coupler head and having a slot therein, a unitary spring seat, a spring bearing between the seat and head and a projection extending from said unitary spring scat into the slot.

3. In an automatic train. pipe coupler, a

coupler head, a bracket for supporting'the' coupler head and having an open slot there in, a spring seat, a spring bearing between the seat and head, and a projection extending from said spring seat into the open slot.

4. In an automatic train pipe coupler, a bracket having an opening therein, walls upon the bracket, the inner surfaces of such walls presenting ridges thereon, a coupler head, a shank extending from the coupler head through said opening. a sleeve uponthc shank, located between said walls and adapted to engage said ridges and :1V spring boar ing between the sleeve and the coupler head.

5. In an automatic train pipe coupler, a bracket having an opening therein, side walls extending forwardly from said open.- ing and having slots therein extending in wardly from their front ends, theinterior surfaces of such walls being inwardly inclined in opposite directions from front and rear to form ridges, a coupler head at the front of the bracket, a shank extending from the coupler head rearwardly through said 0 ening, a nut upon the rear end of the s ank and adapted to bear against the rear surface of the bracket, a spring-seat surrounding the shank between the bracket and coupler head, 'a vsleeve extending from the spring seat, located between the side walls and adapted to engage said ridges, arms ex tending from the spring seat and located at 'the outside of the side walls, pins carried by the arms and the sleeve and located in said slots and a spring bearing between the spring-seat and the coupler head.

6. In an automatic train pipe coupler, a bracket having an opening therein, side walls extending forwardl y from said opening'and having slots therein extending inwardly from their front ends and having inner rounded ends, the interior surfaces of such walls being inwardly inclined in opposite directions from front and rear to form ridges, a coupler head at the. front of the bracket, a shank extending from the coupler head rearwardly through said opening, a nut upon the rear end of the shank and adapted tobear against the rear surface of the bracket, a spring-seat surrounding the shank between the bracket and coupler head, a sleeve extending from the spring seat, located between the side walls and adapted to engage said ridges, arms extending from the spring seat and located at the outside of the side walls, rounded portions extending between the arms and the sleeve and located in said slots and a spring bearing between the spring-seat and the coupler head.

7. In an automatic train pipe coupler, a bracket having an opening therein, side walls extending forwardly from said opening and having slots therein extending inwardly from their front ends, the interior surfaces of such walls being inwardly inclined in opposite directions from front and rear to form ridges, a coupler head at the front of the bracket, a shank extending from,

the coupler head rearwardly through said opening, a nut upon the rear end of the shank and adapted to lwaragainst the rear surface of the bracket, a flexible length extending between the upper portion of the bracket and the upper side. of the coupler head, a spring-seat surrouiuling the shank between the bracket and coupler head, a sleeve extending from the spring seat, located between the side walls and adapted to engage said ridges, arms extending from shank exten the spring-seat and located at the outside of the side walls, pins carried by the arms and the sleeve and located in said slots and a spring bearing between the spring-seat and the coupler head.

8. In an automatic train pipe coupler, a bracket having an opening therein, side walls extending ing and having slots therein extending inwardly from their front ends, the interior surfaces of ch alls being inwardly inclined in opposite i ticns from front and rear to form. ridges, a coupler head at the front of the bracket, a shank extending from the coupler head rearwardly through said opening, a nut upon the rear end of the shank and adapted to bear against the rearv surface of the bracket, an extensible length extending between the upper portion. of the bracket and the upper side of the coupler head, a spring-seat surrounding the shank between the bracket and coupler head,- a sleeve extending from the spring seat, located between the side walls and adapted to engage said ridges, arms extending from the spring seat and located at the outside of the side walls, pins carried by the arms and the sleeve and located in said slots and a spring bearingv between the spring-seat and the coupler head.

9. In an automatic train pipe coupler, a coupler head consisting of" a frame having a projecting inclined one side thereof and an opening at the other sine, such frame being provided with a train pipe aperture located centrally of the frame and between the projecting guide and opening, the guide being recessed about said apertu e, which latter communicates with a condr v extending rearwardly therefrom it out of line with the opening in a frame.

10. In an automatic tr coupler, a coupler head consisting of a frame having a projecting inclined guide at one side thereof, and anopening at theother side, such frame being provided with a train pipe aperture located centrally of the frame and between the projecting guide and. opening, the guide being recessed about said aperture, a shank said shank being located between the proectmg guide and the opening presented by the frame, being hollowed out to communicate with the aperture and having an; opening leading from the interior of the shank and. a nipple surrounding said opening of the shank and disposed toward the same side of the an? as that upon which-the inclined gui is arranged,

11. in an autoniat" train pipe coupler, a coupler head i of frame and a rwaruly from the frame hollowed out adjacent the are presenting a forwardly and being a frame, said forwardly from; said openmemos extending inclined guide at one side, an aperture as that upon which the inclined opening at the other side and a train pipe projecting guide is located.

aperture located between the guide and In testimony whereof, I have signed my opening and in longitudinal alinement with name, to this specification, in the presence 5 the shank, with the interior of which latter of two subscribing witnesses.

it communicates, said hollowed out shank I T being provided with an opening leading ABRAHAM LILCOLN MOLDR' from the interior thereof and a nipple sur- Witnesses:

rounding said openingand disposed at the STANLEY C. KING, 10 same side of the center of the train pipe M. O. BARBER. 

